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Grammar

Auxiliary Verbs: A Complete Guide + Examples

Auxiliary verbs are helping verbs. They are used with main verbs to reflect verb tense, show mood, or add emphasis. Learn how to use auxiliary verbs in this grammar guide.

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Introduction

Our text compare tool is a fantastic, lightweight tool that provides plagiarism checks between two documents. Whether you are a student, blogger or publisher, this tool offers a great solution to detect and compare similarities between any two pieces of text. In this article, I will discuss the different ways to use the tool, the primary features of the tool and who this tool is for. There is an FAQ at the bottom if you run into any issues when trying to use the tool.

What makes Originality.ai’s text comparison tool stand out?

Keyword density helper – This tool comes with a built-in keyword density helper in some ways similar to the likes of SurferSEO or MarketMuse the difference being, ours is free! This feature shows the user the frequency of single or two word keywords in a document, meaning you can easily compare an article you have written against a competitor to see the major differences in keyword densities. This is especially useful for SEO’s who are looking to optimize their blog content for search engines and improve the blog’s visibility.

Ways to compare

File compare – Text comparison between files is a breeze with our tool. Simply select the files you would like to compare, hit “Upload” and our tool will automatically insert the content into the text area, then simply hit “Compare” and let our tool show you where the differences in the text are. By uploading a file, you can still check the keyword density in your content.

URL compare

Comparing text between URLs is effortless with our tool. Simply paste the URL you would like to get the content from (in our example we use a fantastic blog post by Sherice Jacob found here) hit “Submit URL” and our tool will automatically retrieve the contents of the page and paste it into the text area, then simply click “Compare” and let our tool highlight the difference between the URLs. This feature is especially useful for checking keyword density between pages!

Simple text compare

You can also easily compare text by copying and pasting it into each field, as demonstrated below.

Features of Originality.ai’s Text Compare Tool

Ease of use

Our text compare tool is created with the user in mind, it is designed to be accessible to everyone. Our tool allows users to upload files or enter a URL to extract text, this along with the lightweight design ensures a seamless experience. The interface is simple and straightforward, making it easy for users to compare text and detect the diff.

Multiple text file format support

Our tool provides support for a variety of different text files and microsoft word formats including pdf file, .docx, .odt, .doc, and .txt, giving users the ability to compare text from different sources with ease. This makes it a great solution for students, bloggers, and publishers who are looking for file comparison in different formats.

Protects intellectual property

Our text comparison tool helps you protect your intellectual property and helps prevent plagiarism. This tool provides an accurate comparison of texts, making it easy to ensure that your work is original and not copied from other sources. Our tool is a valuable resource for anyone looking to maintain the originality of their content.

User Data Privacy

Our text compare tool is secure and protects user data privacy. No data is ever saved to the tool, the users’ text is only scanned and pasted into the tool’s text area. This makes certain that users can use our tool with confidence, knowing their data is safe and secure.

Compatibility

Our text comparison tool is designed to work seamlessly across all size devices, ensuring maximum compatibility no matter your screen size. Whether you are using a large desktop monitor, a small laptop, a tablet or a smartphone, this tool adjusts to your screen size. This means that users can compare texts and detect the diff anywhere without the need for specialized hardware or software. This level of accessibility makes it an ideal solution for students or bloggers who value the originality of their work and need to compare text online anywhere at any time.

An auxiliary verb is a helping verb that appears before a main verb to form the predicate of a sentence. While auxiliary verbs perform a supporting role in a sentence, they also add context by expressing time, showing mood, or adding emphasis. 

Some auxiliary verbs are used to help form a question or reflect permission. Many times, auxiliary verbs are essential to a sentence.

Learn all about auxiliary verbs, then conveniently review grammar and spelling with the Originality.ai Grammar Checker.

Where Do Main Verbs Appear in a Sentence?

You can spot an auxiliary verb when the action in a sentence is not expressed by a single verb but by a verb phrase. That is the first clue to recognizing that a verb is not working alone: it has a helper. 

Examples:

  • They have become great actors.
    • Main verb: become (to be)
    • Auxiliary verbs: have
  • He is getting good grades because he has been studying a lot. 
    • Main verbs: getting, studying
    • Auxiliary verbs: is, has been (both forms of to be)
  • I have given it a lot of thought. 
    • Main verb: given
    • Auxiliary verb: have

The last verb in the examples above is the main verb of the sentence. The verbs preceding the main verb are auxiliaries. 

It’s a Verb’s Usage That Is Auxiliary

Auxiliary verbs can, in some cases, act like a main verb. Each of the helping verbs above (to be, to have) can stand on its own in a sentence:

  • They have a box of donuts.
  • He is a good student.
  • I have an idea.

It isn’t the verb itself that is auxiliary or main — the classification depends on how a verb is used. In these sentences, there is only one verb without any helping verbs. 

What Do Auxiliary Verbs Do, Exactly?

Examples of auxiliary verbs in action help clarify their function. The change an auxiliary verb makes may look small on the page but it makes a big impact.

Auxiliary verbs express tense and timing

Auxiliary verbs can reflect tense or time. In the examples below, the main verb is a form of “to go.”  The auxiliary verbs are bolded, and the verb tense is shown in (parentheses). 

Examples: 

  • I go to work. (Present simple; no helping verb)
  • I went to work. (Past simple, no helping verb)
  • I will go to work. (Future simple)
  • I have gone to work. (Present perfect)
  • I had gone to work when I realized it was Sunday. (Past perfect)
  • I will have gone to work by the time she wakes up. (Future perfect)
  • I am going to work. (Present progressive)
  • I was going to work when I saw the sunrise. (Past progressive)
  • I will be going to work at 5 a.m. all next week. (Future progressive)
  • I have been going to work at 5 a.m. all this week. (Present perfect progressive)
  • I had been going to that job for five years when I started a new one. (Past perfect progressive)
  • Today, I will have been going to the same job for five years. (Future perfect progressive)

In these examples, the auxiliary verbs change the tense, signaling to a reader when an action occurs. In this way, these small verbs make a significant impact. 

Be and Have Auxiliary Verbs

Eight different forms of be can be used as auxiliary verbs:

  • am, are, is, was, were, be, being, been

Four forms of have can be used as an auxiliary:

  • have, has, having, had

When used as an auxiliary, these be and have forms are combined with the main verb's present or past participle (the -ing form). 

Examples:

  • I am running to the store.
  • She is taking on a new project.
  • We have been making a lot of changes this year.

Do as an Auxiliary Verb

Three forms of do can be used as auxiliary verbs, too:

  • do, does, did

To add emphasis or form a question

When serving as auxiliary verbs, some forms of do add emphasis to a statement or help create a question.

Examples:

  • We do hope you can come to the party.
    • Main verb: hope
  • She does make the best carrot cake!
    • Main verb: make
  • Does she want to come to the party?
    • Main verb: want
  • Do they make their carrot cake from scratch?
    • Main verb: make
  • We did see you there!
    • Main verb: see

To form a negative or emphatic statement

Used as an auxiliary verb, did, combined with not, helps to create a negative or emphatic statement. While less common, does can also act in this way. 

Examples:

  • We did not see you at the party.
    • Main verb: see
  • You did not say that!
    • Main verb: say

Modal Auxiliary Verbs

While the “be, have, and do” auxiliaries establish tense and form negatives and questions, the modal auxiliary verbs can have an additional influence on the main verbs they help. 

They express things like ability, possibility, permission, intention and expectations, to name a few. The most common modal auxiliary verbs are:

  • can, could, will, would, shall, should, may, might, must

To help show ability

  • You can make that cake using the right recipe.
  • I can play soccer well.

To help make a request or ask permission

  • Could you drive me to work, please?
  • Will you lower that volume? 
  • Shall I take your coat?
  • Might you put that back where you found it?

To give permission

  • Yes, you could borrow the library’s book.
  • The boss said we can take tomorrow as a holiday.

To indicate expectations or offer advice

  • You should lower that volume.
  • When a tree is removed, you should plant a new one.

To predict or express a possibility 

  • I might get an A on that paper.
  • They could get a lot of rain tonight.

To express conditions

  • If I get off work early, we can go to dinner.
  • If you lend me a book, I will bring it back. 
  • They said they would call when they arrived.

To show intention

  • I will call you as soon as I get home.
  • When the time comes, I will be there.

In addition to their many special uses, modal auxiliary verbs also express a change in tense, as illustrated in many of the examples above.

Auxiliary Verbs Are Essential to Writing

While most auxiliary verbs are short and serve in a helping capacity, they are crucial to good content creation. Without auxiliary verbs, writing would feel very one-dimensional. 

Try to write a story or piece of marketing copy with main verbs alone, and you’ll soon feel the absence of helping verbs, and the context they add to copy.

Review your content for proper use of auxiliary verbs, spelling, and grammar with the Originality.ai Grammar Checker.

Then, learn more grammar tips and best practices in our top guides:

Melissa Fanella

Melissa Fanella is a writer, editor, and marketing professional with over 15 years of experience in content and messaging for businesses and nonprofits. Her expertise is in crafting authentic, people-first content that is compelling and engaging for audiences and positioned for business goals.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is it important to check for plagiarism?

Tools for conducting a plagiarism check between two documents online are important as it helps to ensure the originality and authenticity of written work. Plagiarism undermines the value of professional and educational institutions, as well as the integrity of the authors who write articles. By checking for plagiarism, you can ensure the work that you produce is original or properly attributed to the original author. This helps prevent the distribution of copied and misrepresented information.

What is Text Comparison?

Text comparison is the process of taking two or more pieces of text and comparing them to see if there are any similarities, differences and/or plagiarism. The objective of a text comparison is to see if one of the texts has been copied or paraphrased from another text. This text compare tool for plagiarism check between two documents has been built to help you streamline that process by finding the discrepancies with ease.

How do Text Comparison Tools Work?

Text comparison tools work by analyzing and comparing the contents of two or more text documents to find similarities and differences between them. This is typically done by breaking the texts down into smaller units such as sentences or phrases, and then calculating a similarity score based on the number of identical or nearly identical units. The comparison may be based on the exact wording of the text, or it may take into account synonyms and other variations in language. The results of the comparison are usually presented in the form of a report or visual representation, highlighting the similarities and differences between the texts.

String comparison is a fundamental operation in text comparison tools that involves comparing two sequences of characters to determine if they are identical or not. This comparison can be done at the character level or at a higher level, such as the word or sentence level.

The most basic form of string comparison is the equality test, where the two strings are compared character by character and a Boolean result indicating whether they are equal or not is returned. More sophisticated string comparison algorithms use heuristics and statistical models to determine the similarity between two strings, even if they are not exactly the same. These algorithms often use techniques such as edit distance, which measures the minimum number of operations (such as insertions, deletions, and substitutions) required to transform one string into another.

Another common technique for string comparison is n-gram analysis, where the strings are divided into overlapping sequences of characters (n-grams) and the frequency of each n-gram is compared between the two strings. This allows for a more nuanced comparison that takes into account partial similarities, rather than just exact matches.

String comparison is a crucial component of text comparison tools, as it forms the basis for determining the similarities and differences between texts. The results of the string comparison can then be used to generate a report or visual representation of the similarities and differences between the texts.

What is Syntax Highlighting?

Syntax highlighting is a feature of text editors and integrated development environments (IDEs) that helps to visually distinguish different elements of a code or markup language. It does this by coloring different elements of the code, such as keywords, variables, functions, and operators, based on a predefined set of rules.

The purpose of syntax highlighting is to make the code easier to read and understand, by drawing attention to the different elements and their structure. For example, keywords may be colored in a different hue to emphasize their importance, while comments or strings may be colored differently to distinguish them from the code itself. This helps to make the code more readable, reducing the cognitive load of the reader and making it easier to identify potential syntax errors.

How Can I Conduct a Plagiarism Check between Two Documents Online?

With our tool it’s easy, just enter or upload some text, click on the button “Compare text” and the tool will automatically display the diff between the two texts.

What Are the Benefits of Using a Text Compare Tool?

Using text comparison tools is much easier, more efficient, and more reliable than proofreading a piece of text by hand. Eliminate the risk of human error by using a tool to detect and display the text difference within seconds.

What Files Can You Inspect with This Text Compare Tool?

We have support for the file extensions .pdf, .docx, .odt, .doc and .txt. You can also enter your text or copy and paste text to compare.

Will My Data Be Shared?

There is never any data saved by the tool, when you hit “Upload” we are just scanning the text and pasting it into our text area so with our text compare tool, no data ever enters our servers.

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